Roy Orbison’s ‘Mystery Girl’ Receiving 25th Anniversary Reissue

The last album Roy Orbison recorded during his lifetime is returning to stores for its 25th anniversary, with a whole bunch of new bonus material added.

Originally released on Feb. 7, 1989, Orbison's 'Mystery Girl' LP capped an unlikely late-period comeback that was sadly derailed by his Dec. 1988 death before it had really even had a chance to gain momentum. Featuring contributions from a host of famous friends, including Bono, Al Kooper, and Orbison's fellow Traveling WilburysGeorge Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty, the album soared to No. 5 on the Billboard charts, spun off the hit single 'You Got It,' and earned a Grammy nomination on its way to selling more than a million copies.

On May 20, Legacy will honor the record's 25th anniversary by releasing 'Mystery Girl - Deluxe,' a CD/DVD package that couples a newly remastered version of the original album with previously unreleased demos, an assortment of music videos (some seeing release for the first time), and 'Mystery Girl: Unraveled,' a new one-hour documentary about the making of the album. The remastered cuts and bonus tracks will also be issued on June 10 as a 2-LP set on 180-gram vinyl.

Of particular interest to longtime fans and collectors is 'The Way Is Love,' a new track created by combining vocals from an Orbison boombox demo with performances from his sons Roy Jr., Alex, and Wesley. Produced by John Carter Cash at Johnny Cash's Cabin studio, 'Way' adds a particularly bittersweet note to the reissue while serving as a poignant tribute to Orbison's legacy.

"Cutting a track with my brothers was more incredible than I can describe," said Alex Orbison in the press release announcing 'Mystery Girl - Deluxe.' "I have been looking forward to this for my entire life." Added Roy Jr., "More or less the reason Alex and Wesley and I are musicians was to play in Dad's band when we got older." Concluded Wesley Orbison, "I think we really got something special."